Vegan Meat by Vegconomist goes into market
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Planet A Foods Raises $30M to Scale Cocoa-Free Chocolate Alternative with 80% Less Carbon Footprint
Planet A Foods, a food technology company specializing in sustainable ingredients, has raised $30 million in a Series B funding round. The financing will support the industrial-scale production of ChoViva, a cocoa-free chocolate alternative, as well as expand the company’s international presence. [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”Planet A Foods is no longer just a startup – we’re now on the way to becoming a leading foodtech player”[/perfectpullquote] The funding round, which was oversubscribed, drew participation from several investment firms, including Cherry Ventures, World Fund, and Bayern Kapital. Leveraging the funding, Planet A Foods aims to further its mission of providing sustainable alternatives for the food industry. CEO and co-founder Dr. Maximilian Marquart stated: “With 30 million dollars in fresh funding and an …
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Chile’s Luyef Receives $1.25M to Develop Nutrients for Cultivated Meat Using Fermentation and Agro By-Products
Luyef (previously Luyef Biotechnologies), a biotech startup focused on cellular agriculture based in Santiago de Chile, has received two substantial grants totaling $1.25 million to accelerate cultivated meat production (detailed information about the grants below). The Ganesha Lab, LATAM’s global biotech scale-up for science and technology-based startups, announced the investment. Kris Blanchard, a biotechnology engineer from the University of Chile, co-founded Luyef in 2020, participating in The Ganesha Lab’s accelerator program in 2022. Luyef is developing technologies to scale cultivated meat production at industrial levels and uses precision fermentation to produce animal proteins. The company is commercializing a bovine myoglobin ingredient (heme) branded as TAMEE (The Authentic Meat-Eating Experience), designed to enhance the taste and color of plant-based and cultivated meat products. According to Pitchbook, other …
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EatVappy: “Based on Our Sales Data, We Can Say the Plant Meat Sector in Türkiye is Growing Steadily”
The often overlooked plant-based meat sector in Türkiye caters to around 100,000 (2022) with a vegan population of roughly 0.5%, which has largely emerged since 2000. One of the key players in the country is Istanbul’s Eat Vappy, a pioneer in Turkey’s plant meat sector, which claims to have launched the world’s first Vegan Turkish sausage in 2017. “It is our priority to produce good production and to create systems for the unit, the planet, and the creatures that can feel. This is not a marketing method for us,” says Eat Vappy Inc. Founder Cihan Baltepe, who draws on over a decade of experience as an archeologist, entrepreneur and futurologist, states that the brand has carved out a market that was previously almost non-existent: “Over …
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Oobli Gains FDA Nod for Sweet Protein Monellin, Expands Portfolio of Zero Glycemic Impact Sweeteners
US sweet protein developer Oobli (formerly Joywell Foods) announces that it has received the FDA’s first “no questions” letter for its monellin sweet protein, produced via precision fermentation. With the letter, the FDA confirmed that Oobli’s monellin is safe to use as a sweetener in food and beverages. The acknowledgment follows a previous FDA approval of brazzein, another sweet-tasting protein. [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”It’s like having more tools in the toolkit”[/perfectpullquote] Monellin is originally found in the serendipity berry of the Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii plant, and brazzein is in the fruit of the Oubli plant. Both scarce sweet proteins are said to be significantly sweeter than sugar. Founder and CTO Jason Ryder shared, “Having additional sweet proteins on the Oobli platform will …
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Op Ed: Neil McCluskey, Textured Plant Proteins Global Director at Kerry, Explains the Consumer Trends Driving Innovation in Alt Protein
Neil McCluskey, Textured Plant Proteins Global Product Director at Kerry, here outlines key consumer trends driving innovation in alternative proteins, including the demand for healthier, sustainable, and clean-label products. While traditional proteins like soy, pea, and wheat still prevail, there is a shift toward more sustainable and performance-oriented sources, explains McCluskey, noting that the US market faces particular challenges due to a significant price premium on plant-based options. From his point of view, the industry is undergoing consolidation, with successful products focusing on taste, texture, and repeat purchases, while new protein sources like mycoprotein are coming to prominence. Exploring New Protein Sources to Meet Consumer Demands By Neil McCluskey, Kerry / Oojah BV Consumer trends driving innovation in alternative proteins include rising demand for healthier, …
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Investment Climate Podcast: Laurel Orley of Daily Crunch, How to Get Funded in 2024
In this podcast series, Alex Shandrovsky interviews investors about benchmarks for funding alt proteins in 2024 and uncovers the investment playbooks of successful climate tech CEOs and leading VCs. Podcast Host Alex Shandrovksy is a strategic advisor to numerous global food tech accelerators and companies, including alternative proteins and cellular agriculture leaders. His focus is on investor relations and post-raise scale for agrifood tech companies. Series 2, Episode 9: Laurel Orley of Daily Crunch In this episode, Alex talked to Laurel Orley, Crunch Executive Officer and co-founder of Daily Crunch Snacks, a women-owned certified and mental health mission-driven company bringing innovation to a trusty but dusty nut snack category through our patent pending sprouting process, innovative game-changing flavors and craveable crunch. Laurel shared about finding investors …
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Canada Invests in Sustainable Faba Bean Protein Development to Expand Plant-Based Ingredient Options
Canada is expanding its plant-based protein offerings through a new initiative focused on faba beans. The project, backed by Protein Industries Canada (PIC), aims to develop high-protein, sustainable ingredients from faba beans, which will be used in a variety of food products. The initiative involves a partnership between several organizations: Griffith Foods, BFY Proteins, Botaniline, and Faba Canada. These companies are working together to create neutral-flavored faba protein ingredients for use in consumer-packaged goods (CPGs), such as meat alternatives and breadings. The project focuses on improving the processing of faba beans to create high-protein, allergen-free, and lower-sodium ingredients suitable for the food industry. [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”Working with extraordinary resources […] puts us on a fast track to demonstrate our ability …
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Turkey Introduces Regulations for Vegan Product Labeling for the First Time
For the first time, the Turkish Food Codex Guide for Food Labeling and Consumer Information has introduced new regulations to provide clear guidelines on the labeling, production, and marketing of vegan and vegetarian products. Using terms such as “milk” for plant-based beverages is prohibited, while traditional or geographical names associated with animal products cannot be used to prevent deceptive food packaging and misleading claims. But the new regulations also bring good news. ‘Vegan burgers,’ ‘vegan sausage,’ or ‘vegetarian patty’ terms are allowed on plant-based meat labels, and the production, export, and import of vegan cheese is now possible “under certain labeling conditions.” [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”Acknowledgment by official channels represents a notable step forward”[/perfectpullquote] In 2022, the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture …
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APAC: Investments in Innovative Food Make “Remarkable Recovery” in 2024, Increasing by 85%
The annual Asia-Pacific AgriFoodTech report by AgFunder has revealed a partial recovery in innovative food investments, a category that encompasses cultivated meat, novel ingredients, and plant-based proteins. $204 million was raised by innovative foods companies in the APAC region between January and the end of October, up 85% compared to the same period in 2023. Furthermore, 59 deals were made during this time, up from 49 last year. Notably, Singaporean oat milk company Oatside raised one of the largest Series B rounds of the year at $35 million. While these figures are encouraging, investments remain significantly lower than they were in 2021 at the peak of the hype phase. Agrifoodtech investments Asia-Pacific agrifoodtech investments as a whole have also increased considerably, reaching $4.2 billion. This …
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Aleph Farms Submits Thailand’s First Cultivated Meat Application, Eyes 2026 Market Launch
Israel’s Aleph Farms has submitted a regulatory approval application to sell its cultivated beef products in Thailand, marking the country’s first application for a cultivated meat product. The safety dossier was filed to the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) under the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines for novel foods. While timelines can be uncertain, a novel food regulatory process can take around 18 months, which means the regulatory green light could arrive mid-2026. [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”Our latest submission for a regulatory approval in Thailand marks a significant milestone in Aleph Farms’ operational roadmap for Southeast Asia”[/perfectpullquote] Upon receiving approval, Aleph Farms plans to sell its flagship product, the Petit Steak, under the Aleph Cuts brand …
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WWF-UK States Proportion of “Livestock-Based” Foods in Supermarkets is Almost Double Recommended Levels
Environmental charity WWF-UK has published its annual What’s in Store for the Planet report, which includes data on the lack of progress made by UK retailers towards sustainability targets. WWF-UK has developed a healthy, sustainable diet called Livewell, which it claims could deliver a 36% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a 20% reduction in biodiversity loss by 2030 compared to the current average diet. Livewell has a 40:30:30 percentage split across livestock, seafood, and plant-based protein foods; it is also in line with government nutrition guidelines. This year, the number of retailers who supplied data on the breakdown of protein food sales increased from six to nine. However, the data indicates that 79% of total protein food sales are livestock-based on average, almost double …
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The Cultured Hub Facility Finally Opens, Positioning Switzerland as a Leader in Scaling Cell-Based Foods
The Cultured Hub has launched a “scale-up as a service” facility for cell-based foods in The Valley in Kemptthal, Switzerland, and celebrated its opening yesterday with the State of Play Cultured Foods 2.0 event. The Cultured Hub is a joint venture between three Swiss industry giants — Migros, Givaudan, and Bühler Group as first announced in 2021 — that aims to leverage their extensive food processing and product development experience to accelerate the production of cultivated meat and other cell-based foods. [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] “The opening of this facility is not just an achievement for our team, but a landmark moment for the industry” [/perfectpullquote] The new “state-of-the-art” biotech facility features advanced labs and fermentation capabilities to help startups scale …
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Angel Yeast: “Innovation in Formulation and Functional Ingredients is Pivotal for Plant-Based Foods”
Angel Yeast, headquartered in China’s Hubei province, is a leader in the production of yeast and yeast-related products, specializing in a wide range of applications across various industries. Founded in 1986, Angel Yeast has grown to become one of the largest yeast producers worldwide, with a strong presence in both domestic and international markets. The company is particularly known for its high-quality baker’s yeast, which is used in bread and other bakery products, as well as its fermentation products, such as yeast extract and other flavor-enhancing ingredients. In addition to its core products, Angel Yeast also offers solutions for the plant-based food industry, with yeast-based ingredients being utilized in the production of vegan and plant-based meat alternatives, providing key functional properties such as texture, flavor, …
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Tender Food Appoints Former Oatly President Mike Messersmith as CEO to Lead Next Phase of Growth
Tender Food, a Massachusetts-based food-tech company specializing in plant-based food production, has announced the appointment of Mike Messersmith as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Messersmith, who previously served as President of Oatly USA, will now lead Tender’s efforts to expand its presence in the plant-based food industry. [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”The food industry is in desperate need of innovative and pioneering approaches”[/perfectpullquote] In June, Tender secured over $11 million in Series A funding to scale up operations at its new facility. At the time, Messersmith joined Tender’s Board of Directors to help guide the company’s commercialization efforts. Now, he steps into the CEO role, succeeding co-founder Christophe Chantre, who will remain involved with the company. His decision to take on …
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Canadian Researchers Pioneer Cold Plasma Treatment to Use Pea Proteins in 3D Printed Foods
University of Alberta researchers have developed pea inks with better shape-holding features using plasma — the fourth state of matter — making them suitable for 3D-printed food applications. 3D extrusion printing allows the creation of plant-based foods with customizable shapes, flavours, textures and nutritional profiles. But, pea protein, a hypoallergenic, low-cost source available from Canadian prairie legume crops, is generally unsuitable for 3D printing due to its poor structural properties. Improved 3D printability of pea protein could expand its use in price convenient plant-based meat and cheese — alternatives much needed to transition to more sustainable diets. The cold plasma method To address the shape challenge in 3D printing, the researchers experimented by mixing pea protein isolates with water activated with cold plasma in a method …
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Investing in Food System Transformation with Jason Ingle of Third Nature Investments
Jason W. Ingle, founder and Managing Partner of Third Nature Investments, joins CEO of VegTech Invest and host Elysabeth Alfano on The Plantbased Business Hour to discuss the powerful lever for societal and environmental impact that is investing in food system transformation. Specifically, they discuss: What is systems investing and why are you focused on this? How do you invest in systems transformation, and can you give some examples of companies in which you have invested? Why are you focused on more than Climate Change? Can you elaborate on investing in food system transformation? Do you see others engaging in (or at least comprehending) systems investing? If so, who/which sort of entities? Is it too late? Or do you see progress? If no progress, what …
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Farmless Secures €1M EU Grant to Validate its “Dramatically Efficient” Landless Protein Production
Dutch fermentation startup Farmless has secured a €1 million grant from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Farmless produces functional proteins with a complete amino acid profile for the F&B industry. Its air-based fermentation process uses microorganisms powered by CO2, hydrogen, nitrogen, and renewable energy-produced feedstock rather than sugar to produce protein “dramatically” more efficiently than animal farming. [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”We’re on a mission to ferment proteins without agricultural land, making food and protein production dramatically more efficient”[/perfectpullquote] With the funds, the startup will demonstrate and optimize its fermentation method for protein production in a First of a Kind (FOAK) facility. In December 2023, the startup raised €4.8 million to build a pilot brewery in Amsterdam featuring R&D facilities, a …
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NAPIC Becomes Latest Alternative Protein Innovation Centre to Open in the UK
The National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC) has been formally launched at the UK’s University of Leeds. It comes after the centre received £15 million in investment from two government funding bodies — the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Innovate UK. NAPIC is hosted by the University of Leeds and co-led with the James Hutton Institute, the University of Sheffield, and Imperial College London. Its aim is to “transform the alternative protein landscape and contribute to a more sustainable future for our planet”. The launch event was attended by 250 delegates spanning academia, industry, investors, funders, and policymakers. It featured a keynote address by Professor Tim Benton of Chatham House, who discussed the critical role of alternative proteins in creating a sustainable …
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20% of Young People in Netherlands Want to Give Up Meat
New research conducted by Kieskompas on behalf of ProVeg Netherlands has found that the majority of Dutch people support the idea of a transition towards a more plant-based diet. 20% of young people surveyed said they would like to give up meat, compared to 16% for the general population. 45% of respondents were already flexitarian, while 7% were vegetarian and 2% were vegan. Among those who were not vegetarian or vegan, half wanted to eat less meat. Overall, two-thirds of people said they supported the transition to more plant-based diets, with the majority in favour across age groups, political viewpoints, and regions. The most common reasons for wishing to eat fewer animal products were reducing animal suffering, preventing deforestation, avoiding species extinction, and protecting wild …
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